[Adopted as Art. VIII of the 1983 Code]
[Amended 4-12-1999 STM by Art. 1; 10-21-2002 STM by Art. 7; 4-15-2008 ATM by Art. 34; 11-1-2021 STM by Art. 6]
There shall be an Advisory Committee, which
shall consist of seven voters of the Town. No member shall be appointed
who is a Town officer, employee or member of another Town committee,
appointed or elected; provided, however, that an Advisory Committee
member may belong to one ad hoc committee that is appointed by an
elected board or official or one other committee appointed by the
Moderator under the following restrictions:
A.
The Advisory member’s participation is approved
by majority vote of the Advisory Committee excluding the member desiring
to participate in the above committees.
B.
The Advisory member may not vote or be counted for
purposes of a quorum during Advisory meetings when matters subject
to the jurisdiction of the above other committees are presented to
the Advisory Committee.
After March 1948, the Moderator shall, within
60 days after the date of his election or within 60 days after any
vacancy occurs in the Advisory Committee, fill, for the unexpired
balance of the term of any member of said Committee, any vacancy which
may occur in the membership of said Committee and shall annually thereafter,
as the terms of members of the present Advisory Committee expire,
appoint three members for terms of three years each.
Initial appointments shall be one member for
one-year, one member for two years and one member for three years.
[Amended 4-8-1985 ATM by Art. 47; 10-21-2002 STM by Art. 7]
Any member of said Committee who shall be absent
from the Town for four consecutive months or who shall remove from
the Town shall, upon his/her qualifying for the office to which he
was elected or upon absence or removal, cease to be a member of said
Committee. The Moderator may rescind an appointment to the Committee
if notified by the Chair of the Advisory Committee that the appointee
has failed to attend four consecutive meetings and may fill any vacancy
for the unexpired term.
[Amended 11-1-2021 STM by Art. 6]
Said Committee shall choose from its membership
a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman and a Secretary.
A.
It shall be the duty of the Committee to consider
all matters included within the articles of any warrant for a Town
Meeting hereafter issued, and the Committee shall, after due consideration
of the subject matter in said articles, report thereon, in print or
otherwise, such information and recommendations as it shall deem best.
B.
The Committee shall insert in the Annual Town Report
a description of all transfers made from the reserve fund during the
preceding year. Such report shall contain the names of all Town officers,
boards, departments and committees requesting such transfer, the original
amount appropriated to the account, article or budget to which such
transfer was made, the amount of each such transfer and the reason
such transfer was requested.
C.
All recommendations of the Committee made to the Town
shall be recommendations of a majority of the entire Committee, but
this shall not be construed to prevent recommendations by a minority.
D.
The Advisory Committee shall have authority at any
time to investigate the books, accounts and management of any department
of the Town, and the books and accounts of all departments and officers
of the Town shall be open to inspection of the Committee and of any
person employed by it.
E.
It may appoint from its own membership subcommittees
and delegate to them such of its powers as it deems expedient.
[Amended 11-1-2021 STM
by Art. 2]
The various Town officers, boards and committees
charged with the expenditure of the Town's money shall annually prepare
detailed estimates of the amounts necessary to carry on the Town's
business entrusted to them for the ensuing year, with explanatory
statements as to any changes from the amount appropriated for the
same purpose in the preceding year. They shall also prepare estimates
of any income which may be received by the Town during the ensuing
year in connection with the Town's business or property in their care.
The Select Board shall include in their estimates the salaries of
all elected Town officers and all other items not otherwise provided
for, and the salaries of all other persons shall be included in the
estimates of the officers, boards or committees appointing them. The
Treasurer shall include in his estimates the amounts required for
the payment of interest on the obligations of the Town and the amount
of maturing indebtedness during the succeeding year. Said estimates
and explanations shall be filed with the Secretary of the Advisory
Committee on or before the 30th day of January, and said Secretary
shall forthwith compile said estimates in tabulated form and add thereto
two columns, one giving the amounts appropriated and the other giving
the amounts expended in the current year, and shall furnish a copy
to each member of the Advisory Committee.
[Amended 11-1-2021 STM
by Art. 2]
Said Committee shall at once consider the estimates
and add another column to said compilation showing the amounts which,
in its opinion, should be appropriated for the ensuing year and may
add thereto such explanations, suggestions and recommendations in
relation to the proposed appropriations as they deem expedient and
report the same to the Select Board. Said compilation shall be printed
and distributed with the Town Report prior to the Annual Town Meeting.[1]
